How to use Gearing Up!

Gearing Up! consists of a Framework for embedding gender-progressive strategy in your representational practice (marketing/media). The Framework is supported by a downloadable workbook consisting of four ‘gears’. The Gearing Up! Framework

GEAR
1

Laying strong foundations

  • Commit, gather your team and set expectations

  • Understand and address conflicts between organisational purpose and gender-progressive goals

  • Scope out what women+ think of your brand

GEAR
2

levelling up your learning

  • Foster reflexivity and deep insight about gender inequality in mountain biking as a foundation for gender-progressive
    practice.

GEAR
3

addressing internal gender dynamics

  • Understand internal resistance to change.

  • Foster a culture that supports the catalysts.

  • Embed gender-progressive practice in your organisation.

GEAR
4

taking action through inclusive and transformative activities

  • Commit, gather your team and set expectations

  • Understand and address conflicts between organisational purpose and gender-progressive goals

  • Scope out what women+ think of your brand

WORKBOOK

Overview of the workbook (COMING SOON)

Gear 1 will help you get things off the ground as you commit to, mobilise and formalise your Gearing Up! Project. It focuses on laying a strong foundation to ensure a successful start, covering the key steps needed to build momentum, bring everyone on board, and establish a clear plan of action. It also asks you some difficult questions about your own organisation, which are important before you get going. Does the organisation’s purpose align with a gender-progressive strategy? What do women+ think of your brand, and how do you know?

Gear 2 introduces some of the research on gender inequality in sport, so you can understand women+’s experiences in mountain biking now in the context of history. It also introduces FIAS and other research about the media representation of mountain biking and how women engage and disengage with this. The section also introduces you to well-established ideas that connect marketing and media with both societal inequalities and social progress, so you can remind yourself just how important your role is beyond the bottom line! Finally, it asks you to look back at your own organisation, to reflect on how you engage at the moment with women customers and potential customers.

Gear 3 is all about moving beyond intention and into action, embedding gender-progressive practice into the everyday workings of your organisation so it is second nature. It explores the gender-dynamics in the marketing and media sectors that may be holding back gender-progressive strategy and hindering the catalysts.

In Gear 4, you’ll design your Gearing Up! action plan. This is where your commitment becomes visible, tangible, and measurable. You’ll make important decisions about investing in inclusive and transformative activities and how to evaluate what really matters.

WORKSHOP

BOOK A WORKSHOP

If you’d prefer to be guided by the Gearing Up! team we can deliver a series of workshops in person or online:

  • Onboarding (online, 60 minutes): discussing the purpose of Gearing Up!, ways of working and setting expectations. Engaging in reflection about organisational purpose.

  • Learning (online, 90 minutes): exploring the FIAS research about women+ in sport, gender and mountain biking and the role of marketing and media in cultural shift. Also we will explore gender dynamics in marketing and media, and how to foster an internal culture that supports catalysts.

  • Action (in person, 120 minutes): Mapping good practice, planning inclusive and transformative activities, planning evaluation.